It’s challenging to write from ‘self.’ To ‘see’ self. With fiction you have a character who carries the emotion for you.

With memoir you have to ‘enter’ yourself and write from the rawness of self.

With fiction you’re typically at the beginning of a story ‘looking forward.’ So, writing memoir, you’re at the end of a story looking back. The challenge was stepping away from myself and seeing from a distance so’s to understand ‘what really happened back there.’ You have to be able to see your story from the inside and the outside so’s to give the reader the full view. Memoir was easier than fiction to write in that I didn’t need any research, character development, plot intricacies. What was it like, turning to memoir? What do you think are the major differences and similarities of each? and England and her novel, Sylvanus Now, was shortlisted for the Commonwealth Prize. Donna’s fiction has been translated into several different languages. She was nominated for a Gemini for her script, The Clothesline Patch , and her latest novel, The Fortunate Brother, spent six weeks on the best seller list, and won the Arthur Ellis Award for best crime novel of 2017. Her memoir, Pluck, was released this year by Penguin, Canada and quickly hit the best sellers list. Read about Donna’s thoughts on writing, reading, and advice for CNFC contest writers.ĭonna Morrissey has published seven national best-selling novels. She has received awards in Canada, the U.S. In December 2022, CNFC volunteer, Nancy O’Rourke, interviewed the 2023 CNFC Contest Judge, D onna Morrissey. Interview with CNFC Contest Judge, Donna Morrissey

Sylvanus Now by Donna Morrissey